The present invention concerns a display-and-control panel for a cooking surface with at least one hotspot, especially for a built-in recessed electric-range top. The panel accommodates display devices and manually operated control devices. The display-and-control devices regulate electronic controls. The controls generate signals that actuate current-diverting components in a heating element associated with each hotspot. The display-and-control panel is accommodated in a cutout at one corner of the cooking surface.
Electric ranges and built-in recessed electric-range tops are equipped with manually operated devices that allow the user to control how much heat radiates from the heating elements in each hotspot. The manually operated devices may be combined with appropriate display devices into display-and-control panels. The display devices indicate the state of the individual hotspots, temperatures, and other information for example.
Known simple control devices are rotating knobs, although finger-contact sensors can also be employed. Also known are display devices in the form of light-emitting diodes.
The point of departure for the present invention is a known cooking surface with display-and-control devices integrated into it. The display-and-control devices associated with different hotspots are combined into display-and-control panels in known electric ranges and built-in recessed electric-range tops. The design is especially typical for cooking surfaces of heat-resistant glass, like the vitreous ceramic sold under the brand Ceran. The advantage of integrating the display-and-control devices essentially into the same plane as the cooking surface is that they will be in the field of vision and within the reach of a user looking down, increasing efficiency and convenience.
The standard thickness of the kitchen-counter tops that such recessed electric-range top are intended to be built into is a relatively slight 40 mm, which for practical purposes should not be exceeded when the top is installed. Since the vitreous ceramic cooking surface should essentially not be thicker than the counter, it would seem difficult to accommodate the heat-sensitive electronic components along with display-and-control devices in the shallow depth available. Another problem is how to dispose of losses from the current-diverting components in the form of heat, possibly enough to damage the electronics, especially the sensors and controls. It has accordingly been impossible until now to accommodate these components in relatively shallow appliances while complying with the aforesaid standard.
A cooking surface with its display-and-control devices concentrated into a panel in one corner is known from German 3 802 406 A1. Since the panel is on the same level as the cooking surface, there is not enough depth to accommodate the display-and-control devices. There is also a gap that spilled food can enter between the panel and the cooking surface.
Also part of the state of the art is a current-presence display described in Swiss Patent 402 210. A panel inserted into the countertop outside the cooking surface contains display-and-control devices. The panel is accordingly not accommodated in one corner of the cooking surface, but next to it. There is no problem in ensuring enough depth for the devices because the panel itself is deep enough.